09 Jul 2015

Ambassador Anne de la Blache of France visited the Diamond Technology Park on July 7 to have first-hand experience on diamond beneficiation.

When briefing the ambassador, SAFDICO director, Ms Rutang Moses, said the park was created following the relocation of diamond sales from London to Gaborone.

Her company polishes and cuts diamonds. It also owns the park, which houses other diamond polishing companies such as the Diamond Hub, Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) and brokers as well as jewelery manufacturers.

Before the relocation, rough diamonds were sold in London. Ms Moses said downstream activities had been created locally to get more value from the resources. She said her company was amongst the first sightholders to be established in Botswana. Diamond polishing companies were known as sightholders.

Through the establishment of the park, she said that they are assisting the government in its efforts to make Botswana an international diamond centre.

She further said that they want to encourage investment, and have benchmarked on international practices.

The park has become an important feature in diamond sales as Kimberly Certificates are issued there and further, the GIA also provides rating services for diamonds less than 5 carats while the rest are certified in New York.

Kimberly Certificates are issued to separate diamonds from conflict hit zones. Since the diamond polishing industry is new to the country, Ms Moses said they have had to train their own personnel and today they have Batswana in supervisory positions.

She said that they have registered their training with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) and the South African Bureau of Standards.

A record 95 percent of SAFDICO diamonds are rated triple excellent by the GIA. She said that they have previously polished a 60 carat diamond and recently a 30 carat diamond, which shows Botswana’s capacity to polish big stones.

Ms Moses said they have their own security personnel manning the premises while the Botswana Police Service, housed within the park, provides escort services.

The diamonds are adjacent to the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) and a few kilometres from the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, making for easier transportation.

Lucara Diamonds is also housed in the park where they tender their own diamonds. Since the park also houses ODC, government’s selling arm, it has become a hub for all diamond related activities. Ends